


Pokemon: The Mirror-Mirror Catastrophe!

by DMWanderer



Category: Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 09:07:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30019413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DMWanderer/pseuds/DMWanderer
Summary: Y, a Pokémon trainer from the Y universe, is training to become the league champion. Almost a decade after the murder ofhis training partner X, the guilt still weighs on his shoulders. One day, he is called by Prof. Acacia to aid in the experiment of using the recently created GTS to transport people as well as Pokémon from the newly discovered X universe. He is chosen as the representative of his own universe and is soon arranged to meet the representative of the X universe But what's this? The X representative is none other than X herself, ten years later! What will come of this discovery?Later, it is discovered that the mighty Yveltal has approached the end of its life cycle, entering its Cocoon of Destruction and absorbing all life energy in the universe! An ugly truth is faced; Force the dying Yveltal into the X universe to save their skins, or the Y universe will face universal extinction. A civil war between two universes ensues! Champion X faces Champion Y in the ultimate battle that will determine the lives of billions! Who will come out on top?





	1. Debt

Debt  
"Ha ha ha! What'd I tell ya? My Aegislash is the best!" The thug declared his victory as his opponent's Raticate collapsed. "C'mon, another drink for me!" The bar roared with applause. Nale, the winning trainer, stood triumphantly with his Aegislash beside him. The losing trainer withdrew his Raticate.  
"Damnit. How'd an idiot like you get a Pokemon like that anyways?"  
Nale scoffed. "You're the idiot. I can't win without a strong Pokemon, so I got a strong Pokemon! Simple as that!" A simple answer, coming from a similarly simple yet strong mind. The trainer thug Nale had claimed yet another victim in battle. The pokedexes of both trainers lit up reactively, and a portion of the losing trainers' credits were rewarded to Nale.  
"Nice one Aegislash, this should be just enough for my bar tab." Aegislash made a sort of metallic sound that indicated pride in a clean battle. The duo sauntered to the counter to meet the barkeeper Charlie, who stood half expectantly for them.  
"Well? I got $100, that should pay off my tab right?" asked Nale, hopeful. Charlie did not respond to him.  
"Uh, Charlie?"  
The barkeeper put his hand to his ear. "Huh? What was that? Did you say just $100? When I have a bill here that says $300? That's no use to me."  
Nale coughed exaggeratedly. "Ack-I mean I've got $100 so far," he turned to mutter to himself "just how expensive were those drinks? They tasted like shit anyways..."  
"Huh? What was that again? It sounded like 'I'll have my tab by tonight' or something similar."  
"Ack-Yeah, I'm gonna go get the rest right now. I'll just battle another trainer!" Nale and his Aegislash turned towards the bars center to eye out a potential opponent amongst the patrons. Although some people owned Pokemon, they often served a superfluous purpose and weren’t meant for battling. The only trainer sat broken, defeated from their previous battle. After Nale realized there were no suitable opponents, and briefly contemplated making a run through the bars' double doors, they opened. The cold of the outside breezed through the doors and around two new arrivals who cloaked themselves from the harsh outside conditions. Aegislash took notice of the cloaked arrivals right away, and nudged his trainer's leg. Nale looked down and caught his pokemons gaze.   
"Ah ha, I get ya bud."  
The new arrivals now walked through the center of the bar in a path towards the counter. As they drew near the face of the leading figure became more visible. His eyes were fixed forward, they did not wander or waver from his path. The second figure was a bit shorter and gazed down to the floor as they followed. Their face was not yet visible. Charlie greeted them both when they arrived at the counter.  
"Welcome sir, to Charlie's Barley. I'm Charlie. If you're looking for a warm drink or a warm seat I can treat you to both."  
"Yes, just a seat for the two of us. My partner doesn't drink, so just a White Russian for me." The males companion looked up at him for a moment, then gazed back to the ground. Charlie eyed the male and his partner for a moment and shrugged.  
"White Russian huh? Any ID?" Charlie reached out to examine what the male presented to him. Nale, observing quietly from the side, caught the iconic red trim of a pokedex. After a moment of examination Charlie returned it, satisfied.  
"Alright. Pick a seat where you'd like and I'll be by with your drink."

The trainer and his partner chose a small unoccupied table with Nale shadowing their footsteps. Before the two had a chance to sit he spoke.  
"You're a trainer. What do you say we battle?" The trainer paused, his partner took a seat. The two trainers shared a moment of tense silence, each sizing up the other.  
"Quick. 1 on 1, no items. That good?"  
Nale didn't expect him to agree so easily.  
"That'll work, but we should at least introduce ourselves. I'm Nale, the resident cool guy of this area, and this is Aegislash." Aegislash introduced itself by unsheathing and crossing its sword body over its shield. “He’s real pumped right now, so don't expect any handouts.” The trainer removed his hood.  
"I go by Y, like the letter." he turned to his companion and gestured to approach. “My partner will determine the speed of this match.” Y’s companion seemed not to respond for a moment, but rose and removed her hood. A Gardevoir. The bar recognized the developing duel, grew quiet and backed away to give space. All eyes were on them, ears turned, mouths shut, the first attack could dictate the outcome of their battle. Charlie readied his bill pad.  
"Flash cannon!" Aegislash slid it's shield along the length of it's sword body and fired the first attack, a Steel type energy beam. Gardevoirs head snapped back with the force of impact. She was struck but remained standing. Y said nothing, nor showed concern. Slowly Gardevoirs head returned to position. A thin line of smoke rose from the point of impact above her brow. Nale was in disbelief.  
"My Aegislash...what gives?” he thought “Aegislash has the attack stats plus the type advantage, he should've blown a hole clean through that Gardevoir!"  
Y sat back down. It was Gardevoirs turn. Her hands bloomed with ghostly aura as she readied her next attack. She shot an orb of high velocity Ghost type energy. Intangible, and so quick that one could barely trace it with the eye. Instinctually, Aegislash hid its sword core behind its shield but to little effect. Gardevoirs Shadow Ball had permeated the Ghosts pokemons steel shell and nearly killed it. It was as if the sword pokemon had attempted to shade itself while standing on the sun's surface, but as Aegislash grew weaker, it's pride only burned brighter. It was ready for a final attack. Nale, sensing the resolve within his pokemon, readied for a final attack.  
"Aegislash, Reversal!" Nale cried out his command, and with terrifying speed Aegislash rose once more to deliver a brutal rising slash, aiming to slice Gardevoir up the middle. The blade glid through her cloak effortlessly, but ran off Gardevoirs skin like water off a leaf. Again she remained standing. Nale knew a Fighting type attack would be doubly countered by a Psychic and Fairy types defense, but to see just how useless his attacks were against this Pokemon, he knew just how beaten he was. Gardevoir delivered the final blow with the same attack as before, and Aegislash clattered to the floor defeated. Charlie arrived with Y's drink.  
"White Russian. On the house since I believe Nale will be paying for this too." Gardevoir returned to her seat besides her trainer. Y removed his cloak and placed it around her. Nale returned Aegislash to its pokeball.  
"Y. Just who are you? How'd you get so good at battles?" Y took a drink, then presented his pokedex. Nale understood after just one look. It read:

This Pokedex is property of:   
Pending Champion Y  
Please return to any Pokecenter if found

“Damn. Just my luck to challenge a champ fresh off the block. When did you get that?” Y reached around in his pocket. “We just got back actually. Even though I won, I still have 2 gym badges to collect. That's why it says ‘pending’”. He tossed a strangely shaped stone to Nale, who recognized it as a Max Revive.  
"Wait, you're giving this to me? These are super rare and expensive I thought?" Y shrugged. "I don't really need them. Plus I think you're paying for my drinks so it's the least I could do." Nale laughed to himself for a bit, then sobbed to himself.  
"My...tab…"


	2. Payback

Payback  
The bitter winds grew ever sharper that night. The cold lapped at exposed skin like cold steel as Y and Gardevoir found themselves at the doors to the Pokemotel. Gardevoir led Y in by the hand. Although the wind felt like knives, Y had drunken too much to care. The caffeine and alcohol made him feel hot, but he was still sluggish from the cold. Even though she offered him back his cloak he refused, believing he did not need it, and threw it aside. They entered the motel and Gardevoir presented Y’s pokedex to the clerk. The clerk reached out towards Y to give him their room keys, Gardevoir took them and led Y to their room.  
Y stumbled through the door of their motel room. It was dimly lit, with only a lamp and PC to provide light. "Gardevoir...I-I think that guy added too much Russian to my drink." Hugging the wall he found his way to the toilet and dropped his head in, ready to vomit. Gardevoir looked upon her trainer, dry heaving and spitting. Once again he had overdone it. Twice in one night.  
“Burp-oof...I feel like a pokemon caught in Trick Room...Barf.” He fell back and lay on the floor with his eyes closed and head spinning. “Can you help me out Gar?” After no response was given, Y opened his eyes to see Gardevoir. She had a blank expression, the same blank expression he recognized as her sort of 'I'm not impressed right now' face.  
"You saw me only drink two, or four? I really think he mixed it strong…" Insisted Y, but Gardevoirs face didn't change. She only turned away and left the bathroom.  
“No, wait. Was it the Trick Room thing?” He stumbled to his feet and went after her.  
"I know you don't like it when you can't read me, but I'm telling you-” Gardevoir was tired of it. As a part Psychic pokemon, Gardevoir was always able to read and transmit emotions from the mind of her trainer. But as intoxicated as Y was, his mind was clouded and not being able to read him made her anxious. This unease wasn't just a result of her empathic nature, but from a past event that the two shared. She slowly paced the living room exploring thoughts of what should be done next. Halfway out the bathroom layed Y, rambling incoherently to himself. For a moment he had quieted.  
"When I battled that guy, I forgot to ask you first." Gardevoir paused her pacing. Although she willingly followed Y, she possessed a proud spirit and did not wish to be used in superficial battles...so why was tonight so different? She turned back to him, still on the floor.  
"I didn't think it would matter. You were obviously way stronger so I didn't think it was a big deal." Y explained. Gardevoir waited for more, but Y went quiet again. She looked back at the wall to think about what he said. Abruptly, Y struggled to his feet.  
"No...to make it up I won't use you in any battles. No matter how easy using you would be I-" he stumbled but continued. “-no more for a week...a few days…” Y put his hands on Gardevoirs shoulders as if meaning to share some secret with her, but he said nothing, only looking into her eyes as if there were something there, before succumbing to his exhaustion and collapsing on the floor. Even with his mind so clouded, Gardevoir needed no psychic abilities to know what Y said matched his emotions. She knew him long enough to know he was sincere in his apology and proposal, but her mind stuck onto her trainer's wording. Gardevoir could not help but feel uneasy at that wording. She laid a blanket over Y and turned off the light before laying down in the bedroom.  
As the hours passed and the night grew longer, Y fell deeper into sleep. Although sleep is usually a time for the mind to rest, Y’s could do anything but. The stress of maintaining the image of a champion, what pokemon would he use in his next gym battle? Could he even show his face to the pokemon in mind? Show his face...Y thought of who he would want to meet again the least. Even though he couldn't bear Gardevoirs disapproving attitude that night, he wanted to keep seeing her. But who wouldn't he want to see? His old partner, Greninja, was stored in his PC. Unused for nearly 3 months after he left to train with Gardevoir. Could he really expect him to battle out of the blue?   
A battle out of the blue?  
"A battle? Out of the blue?"

He felt sick. As if there were some dark fate awaiting him around the corner.


	3. Suppress

Suppress  
It was 10 years ago. Not long after beginning their study under professor Acacia, Y and his classmate X were hiking through a forest in fall on a task to fill the empty spaces in their pokedexs. X was ahead of Y on the trail, in grades, and in her collection, and she was sure to boast her accomplishments each chance she got.   
"Keep up Slowbro! Or I'm gonna faint all the wild pokemon here and you won't finish your dex!" He couldn't stand it. X had always treated him like a kid, despite their matching ages. That name too, he made the mistake of disapproval when she first used it, and now it was her catchphrase of motivation. Today would be different.   
"Don't!" Y pleaded. "How is Froakie supposed to evolve if your pokemon hogs all the xp?" Even though X was a newly made trainer, she had already won enough battles with other trainers and in the wild to evolve her Fenniken into it's stronger form Braixen. Acacia's students were always exceptional, but X was much faster than the rest. X took a galant stance on top of a rock with Braixen mirroring her attitude. “Braixen ain't much stronger than the pokemon around here, and you lose to us all the time! If you’d just set up your Experience Share I could basically train him for you.”  
“No!” refused Y. “I don't need you always ‘helping’ me. I’m not stupid!” He stormed past X and continued on the trail. X muttered “I wasn't trying to make fun of you…” before catching up with him. “You don't have to act so serious all the time. Acacia wanted us to have fun, she doesn't really care if we finish this dex or whatever. Besides, this place could NEVER hold so many different pokemon.” Y said nothing and kept walking. X broke the awkward silence by stepping in front of him. Y, at first annoyed, was disarmed by her smile.  
“Tell you what,” started X “what do you want to do?” Y pondered for a while. X made a proposal, “C’mon, we could ditch this area and hit the Pokecafe.” Y shook his head. “I know, I want to battle you!” Braixen perked up at the word.   
“A battle? Out of the blue?” questioned X, surprised at his suggestion. “You know how this will go, right?”  
“This time will be different!” Y said, digging into his backpack. “I’ve got a pokemon way stronger than that Froakie.” He presented an uncommon variation of pokeball called a Great Ball. X marveled at it. “Wow! I’ve only seen pictures of those! Where’d you get it? Who’s inside?” Y answered “I got him from trading Acacia’s specimen, the one she gave me. It's a higher level than anything you’ve seen too!” X’s marvel faded into a frown. “What level did you say this pokemon was?”   
“70.”  
“Y you CAN’T have a pokemon like THAT.” X spoke in almost a whisper. “We don't have the experience to train at that high a level. You won't be able to control him.” Y also frowned. Taking offense he said back “You think i’m not good enough to train it?”  
“It's not what I think Y, it's what I know. If you called him out right now he would only loaf around. You made a bad trade.” Y threw his backpack aside, turned on his heels and took 10 paces away from her.  
“You still wanna do this? You’ll see I'm right.” X took 10 paces backwards. Her Fox pokemon Braixen stood in front. Y threw his pokeball to the ground. “Go! Gengar!” The ball released a beam of energy, the force of which launched the ball higher up as it released the pokemon within. Gengar, the shadow pokemon of mischief, was revealed. Both children, looking upon the creature, were filled with a faint sense of dread. The same type of dread one would feel when they know they’ve done something bad. The fear of consequence. Ambient sounds seemed to mute, the forest became unnaturally quiet. Braixen’s hair stood on end but she did not waver. In a shaky voice, Y issued his first command.  
“G-Gengar, use Sha-” His words were caught when Gengar turned and looked at him. To maintain his image of respect, Y gathered his words and started again.   
“Gengar, use Shadow Sneak!” For a moment Gengar did not respond. He looked to Braixen, then sat down and laid its head back. Relief washed over X and Braixen.  
“See? I told you he’d loaf around, now call him back.”  
“I said use Shadow Sneak! Now!” Y kept yelling orders to Gengar but the pokemon ignored them all. X let him call several more orders before cutting in. “He’s never gonna listen-”  
“Shut up!” snapped Y. “I know what I'm doing!” He ran to Gengar and spoke again. “Hey! If you don't do what I say I'll leave you in your pokeball forever, now Shadow Sneak!” Gengar scoffed and lazily swept Y’s legs, making him fall backward. X sighed. Braixen slyly snickered behind her.  
“Look, just call it back into the pokeball and we can forget about this. It’s not a big deal. It doesn't matter.” She bent down and held out one hand. “Here.” She offered help but Y refused, slapping away her hand. He rose with tears in his eyes.  
“There you go again, always ‘helping’ me...like I can't do anything myself…” His voice was shaky. Frustration, embarrassment, anger, these emotions presented themselves within the boy, and Gengar became acutely aware of them. The Trickster Pokemon continued to laze but in actuality was closely observing the children. A fight would be a chore, demanding exertion and effort, and running would only work for so long before he would be inevitably returned, possibly indefinitely...but manipulating minds was far easier. Y’s emotions welled up and intensified in a cacophony of stimuli. Suddenly he felt like crying, screaming, and running all at once, and collapsed to his knees from overstimulation. X knelt down trying to ask what was wrong, but knew immediately when she caught Braixen's hostile sneer at Gengar that things had quickly fallen out of hand.  
“Braixen! Flame Charge!” Braixen wasted no time. The flaming Fox Pokemon broke onto all fours and charged ahead, flames pluming from each step until its entire body was engulfed. Gengar simply stared down the attack, not flinching one bit, and Braixen scorched straight through the specter. No physical contact was possible with the ghost's structure but the heat of the fire managed to cause some harm. With a snicker, Gengar faded away for the time being. Braixen’s hairs were stuck on end, still ready for an ambush. X took the moment to check on Y.  
“Y! We need to leave and tell Acacia, she can help us!” Wrapping her arms around him she tried to shake him to attention. “You have to return him NOW or get up so we can leave, please!”  
“You’re still doing it…” There was now a dark aura rising from Y like smoke. The boy was corrupted by his own emotions, augmented by Gengar. While he was incapacitated his mind stewed for peace by eliminating all emotional stimuli, leaving only anger. Gengar reappeared to admire his work, mere feet from the two. Sensing the Trickster, Braixen wasted no time before launching another attack, and Y launched his own targeting X. Braixen hesitated, and Gengar attacked in the same moment. A well placed punch to the foxes side with such force it warped the Fox around the Ghosts paw before launching it away. X could not call out for her Pokemon. Y’s hands were clasped firmly around her neck, and she couldn't breathe. For her, the forest was now quiet. Her lips went numb and her vision clouded the Tricksters twisted grin. The senses located in X’s head began to fail her, and as she strained to speak through the clutches of her friend, neither could determine if it was a plea or a final recognition.

“...Y…s-...”

“We both know it wasn’t his fault, but what will the others think? What will he think?” Professor Acacia paced her laboratory. It was late at night, the lab was illuminated by rows of computers on standby. Primrose, her assistant, was the only other person besides Y occupying the building with the Professor. Often calculating, she inquired about what would be done about the tragic event on their hands.   
“I don’t have to tell you, if any of our investors find out one of our junior trainers was murdered by a classmate, they won’t care what mental manipulations were at work. We’ll be cut and then some.” Acacia, who had responded to the distress signal in the children's pokedex and recaptured Gengar with her own pokemon, didn't answer. Acacia was similarly calculating but more adaptable than her assistant. That adaptability was what the Professor prided herself on, as it was what allowed her to escape her debts for so long.  
“We very well can't throw away this opportunity on a mistake. I advise claiming ignorance, Professor.”  
Acacia huffed and slammed her hand on a desk. “Dammit! I’ve already made up my mind, the project WILL continue but I can’t ignore this either!” They went quiet again. The only audible sound was the steady sobbing from a neighboring room. After a few moments, Acacia took a brisk pace into her office. After hastily typing something into her console, she opened a drawer in her desk and removed a unique pokeball along with several tools. She laid them out on her desk, sat in her chair, and began disassembly of the ball. Primrose watched quizzically from the doorway.  
“Professor? May I ask your intentions behind this action?”  
Acacia sighed before starting, “Service Pokemon. Specialized in emotional therapy and often rescued from abandonment, I'm removing the storage chip and planting it into one of his pokeballs.”  
“I fail to understand the significance of such an action,” explained Primrose. “how will this help dissuade the public?”  
“It's gonna help him forget.” Acacia answered, impatiently. Primrose paused her inquiry upon partial realization of her Professor's true intention.  
“You mean to wipe the boy's memory. Are you aware of the possible trauma? Depending on their relationship, a complete erasure wou-”  
“It's the best we’ve got...from here on out, X has never enrolled here. She was never a student, and Y will have always had this Gardevoir, understood?”  
“Yes Professor.”

New year's day, several years after that tragic day in the forest, Gardevoir sits contently on a sofa watching the celebrations on TV. She didn't understand why humans, Y included, found such entertainment in drinking and partying. To her, it was just another day. Y had excused himself several minutes ago to use the bathroom, probably to urinate out all the alcohol he consumed that night. It was a while ago, but he was probably taking the extra time to clean himself. Her master seemed happy that night, happier than she’s seen him in a long time. Seeing him at such ease put her in the same mood, knowing that she was able to help her trainer in such a big way. On the coffee table, Y’s Dex vibrated. An incoming call from Acacia.  
“Hey Y, Happy new years! *phweee!* I hope you didn't ditch me so you could drink my brandy all by yourself...listen. I know you may not think so but you don't have to be alone all the time. Gardevoir isn't the only one who cares about you, I do too, and Primrose well...she doesn't mind. Maybe sometimes...just let us know you’re ok?” The message ended. Acacia's message had reminded Gardevoir of her master, what was taking him? She got up and went to the bathroom. Locked. She made a sound of curiosity, as if asking if anyone was there, no response. When putting her ear up to the door she only heard rushing water. Odd. Taking a shower? He could slip and hurt himself if he was still intoxicated. A bath? She leaned back and scanned the living room for the bottle of brandy but it was missing. She turned her attention again to the locked bathroom door and began concentrating, searching for her master's thoughts…  
Panic settled in. Gardevoir had been trained to soothe all forms of mental ailments and believed Y to be mostly cured from his woes, now she was afraid that she had made a grave miscalculation. She slammed her fists on the door and called for an answer, she rammed her shoulders into the door but her small frame did not carry enough mass to break the lock. It is said that when a Gardevoir finds their trainer is in grave danger, they will manifest psychic abilities powerful enough to create a black hole. Finally, she tore the door off its hinges and threw it aside using telekinesis. There, in the overflowing tub, a bottle of brandy empty in his hand, floated Y with his head beneath the surface.


	4. Incite

Incite  
Y woke up to the vibration of his pokedex. Wincing, he reached out for the dex and opened it to check the time. It was barely a few hours into the morning, the sun hadn't even risen yet. As always he couldn't remember dreaming about anything, but the way he felt after waking suggested that they were always bad, and perhaps were better forgetting. He felt his surroundings, warm and soft, he didn't remember getting into bed. While sitting up, he touched something and noticed Gardevoir asleep next to him.   
“That's right,” Y remembered. “one bed.” He carefully removed himself and readjusted the covers over Gardevoir. Checking his dex again he noticed an unread message from an unfamiliar number. He did however recognize the name, Valory Cathe the Psychic Gym leader. Recalling that they had a battle scheduled for that afternoon, Y turned on his PC. He set his dex down beside him and played the voice message.  
“Salut Champion Y, I hope you haven't forgotten about me. The good professor has told me all about you, I'm so excited! I’ve decided to put in the extra effort to meet you instead! I’ll be seeing you first thing tomorrow morning, pa!”  
First thing in the morning? That meant he couldn't sleep in today, a shame. Considering Valory was a Psychic specialist, Y chose the three pokemon he would use to fight. Greninja, Y’s first pokemon who’s secondary Dark typing made it immune to Psychic attacks. Escavalier, a heavily armed and shelled pokemon who’s Bug type attacks would pierce a Psychic type's defenses. Finally Klefki, a superfluous pokemon he didn't expect to use but often brought all the same. With his new team in tow, he decided that eating something would be next on his to do list. He collected his items, donned his cloak, and quietly left his room leaving Gardevoir asleep in bed.

Stepping out of his room and locking the door behind him, Y looked up and down the motel halls and thought they seemed longer than what was expected. He hadn’t remembered the building being so large, but chalked it up to being drunk last night. With his room on his right, he started walking the narrow corridor while trying to remember the dream he had. He scarcely noticed that the hall seemed to grow longer. He had been walking for quite some time but still hadn’t made any progress. He checked the room on his right. It wasn't his, so he had been walking but for whatever reason the hall had not ended. It was then that a figure revealed itself at the end of the corridor, so far that only their silhouette was apparent. Before Y could call out to it, the halls suddenly shrank like an accordion and brought the silhouette closer. The figure was Valory Cathe, a woman who wore a fitting purple business suit and had a tattoo on her neck; A vertical line that spanned from the lower jaw to her shoulder, with 5 dots lining one side.  
“Salut. Didn’t I say we would be starting first thing in the morning?”  
“This is Trick Room.” said Y. “So you’ve already started your first attack?” Valory grinned. “It keeps my men right where I want them. Once they know I'm in control, it puts them in a better mood to talk.”  
“So you wanted to talk?” asked Y.  
“Only briefly. I don't want to bore you with any details, but the Professor asked me to let you know that her project is complete…” She paused before continuing, “She wants to see you quickly, today actually, but don't get too excited. Her one condition is my blessings, you have to walk away with my badge.”  
Y nodded. He remembered Acacia’s project as a kid and how she told him it would change everything. Whimsy tales, he thought, but now that it was supposedly complete he was intrigued to see what it did exactly. Y revealed the first pokeball from his cloak, as did Valory.  
“Get in there, Escavalier!”   
“Put ‘em to sleep Musharna!”  
Known as the Cavalry Pokemon, Excavalier sported two striped lances and a bristled crest like a helm. He excitedly thrust his lances in the air, simply ecstatic to have been chosen by his master to battle. Musharna floated lazily about. Living up to its name, the Drowsing Pokemon seemed to be asleep. Its soft and plump body was slowly propelled by the mist from its forehead, formed by the consumption of dreams. Without a word from his master, Escavalier attempted its first attack, aiming to skewer Musharna. By the command of Valory, Musharna reactivated Trick Room and increased the hall's length to stall Excavaliers charge. Y then ordered Excavalier to halt his pursuit, knowing that Valory would never allow him to close distance. He would have to wait for his opponent to move in, and counter attack.   
“I know how you battle Y. Patience won’t benefit here, I’ve tailored this for you!” Musharna yawned, inducing Excavalier to do the same. He became drowsy but fought to stay alert. Y recognized what Valory was doing. She wanted to stall his offense and exhaust his options. With Trick Room and Yawn, his pokemon would be unable to approach Valory and succumb to sleep, but Y knew that no strategy in the art of Pokemon battle was full proof. Again without command, and to keep itself awake, Escavalier charged Musharna.   
“Shut your eyes, Excavalier!” The pokemon hesitated at the counter intuitive command. Feeling itself slipping deeper into sleep, to close his eyes might mean the point of no return. Excavalier accelerated with uncharacteristic speed but still made no noticeable progress towards his target.  
“Just do it!”  
Trusting his trainer, Excavalier closed his eyes and focused on maintaining its rush. The last thing he felt before falling asleep was himself piercing then running through Musharna. Trick Room played on the mind's perception of space and thus made Excavalier perceive himself as stationary. By closing his eyes he had freed himself from the illusion. At Valory’s feet lied her Musharna, a bloody mess shorn almost completely by Excavaliers oversized steel lances. The attack was super effective.  
“Oh. Quick deduction even for a champ.” She returned Musharna, its totaling mass, back into her pokeball and brought out her next pokemon. The Cerebral Pokemon named Beheeyem was bronze in color and used the three flashing lights at the end of each arm to communicate. Although its pattern of communication was unknown, it took no linguist to understand that Beheeyem took extreme distaste at Excavaliers presence.  
“Beheeyem just HATES bugs. Now you’ll see what he does to any I catch.” Sleeping pokemon rarely recovered on the first turn of affliction, so Y didn't bother to issue a command. Beheeyem raised a flashing arm and Excavaliers body trembled under unseen forces. The Psychic energy Beheeyem was using placed enormous pressure on the pokemon, and crushed it with a loud ‘pop’ into a pulpy mess of flesh and shell bits. It was a display of power boasting Beheeyems’ extreme abilities in Telekinesis. Excavaliers’ resistance was not enough.  
Y released Greninja before calling back Excavalier. Greninja observed his surroundings and recognized his comrade Excavalier. The two traveled with their master Y once upon a time, and Greninja longed for those days to return. He loved his trainer and didn't want to disappoint by losing his first battle in...how long has it been? Beyond those days of companionship, his memories were a blur of battles in which he was simply used. He admitted to himself a long time ago the envy he had for Gardevoir. He didn't resent her for what she did, but he wondered if life in these conditions was worth it. He quickly shook these thoughts from his head and focused on Beheeyem.


	5. Shroud

Shroud  
“You think a Dark type will be immune to Beheeyems’ tricks?” The hall transformed again but this time it wasn't an illusion. Beheeyem was warping space and stretching the dimensions of the hall with raw telekinetic power so that it would be unimpeded by Greninja’s type advantage. The hall was so long now that it was scarcely lit and its end was no longer visible, ending in a shadowy void that Beheeyem and Val occupied.  
“She can't beat us head on, so she plans on whittling us down at extreme range. Stay alert.”  
Greninja acknowledged with a nod and kept careful watch at the shadows. For a moment, the shadows seemed to brighten slightly, then a flash of yellow appeared in the inky darkness. He squinted before realizing a split second later what the flash was. Swiftly, he dodged the oncoming bolt of lighting and it zoomed past into the darkness behind them. For his counter attack, Greninja threw several Water Shuriken's into the origin of the attack, and was met with another lightning bolt. Again, the attack missed and instead of launching a counter attack, Greninja waited. There was a considerable delay before the third bolt whizzed down the hall, this time missing with no effort of evasion from Greninja.   
“This hall is long and narrow enough for her to keep attacking without fear, but she can't see us. If we slowly closed our distance she could simply stretch the hall more so we can never touch her.” thought Y. “How can we get closer?” As the fourth bolt made its way toward them, this time nearly hitting Greninja, Y looked at the lamps that illuminated the hall. Beheeyems spatial manipulation had not affected them or the behavior of light, so there were many spots of darkness down the hall. That would be their ticket.  
“Greninja...use Shadow Sneak and travel along the shadows to Beheeyem. They might not be so caught off guard though, so I’ll draw their attention.”  
Greninja looked at his trainer, hesitant to let him put himself in danger. But as he looked into his eyes, he could see their resolve and remembered why Y had become the first trainer he respected. Greninja nodded and sank into the shadows, leaving Y. He waited for the fifth bolt to pass, then started a dead sprint to the end of the hall.

It was obvious, the footsteps running towards them was Y attempting to distract and give an opening for his pokemon. Beheeyem looked at his trainer for approval, unsure whether it was permissible to attack another trainer. Val chuckled to herself then gestured for Beheeyem to continue.  
“Does he think I’ll believe for a second that he really ordered his pokemon to run blindly at me? That Greninja is probably skulking around with Shadow Sneak, but we’ll be ready for him. We stood in the darkness not to hide, but to lure you Y. I knew you would try this!” With his footsteps advancing, Beheeyems' frequency of attacks increased, and with the 13th bolt of lightning, a crack and thud interrupted the pace of the footsteps. Beheeyem paused his attacks to warp the hall again and listened for any movement. Rustling and groans, Y was picking himself back up. Beheeyem charged its next attack, ready for the enemy trainer to continue his advance, when suddenly the darkness above him welled up revealing Greninja, but he was not off guard. In a swift motion Beheeyem retargeted Greninja and fired. The bolt went straight through the attacker, and the overwhelming voltage caused an explosion sending wooden splinters everywhere.  
“Wait, it was a Substitute?” Val and her pokemon were not given a chance for thought before Y resumed his approach, and Beheeyem turned back to the trainer for another attack. This time, only Val noticed the darkness welling up again, now behind Beheeyem. In a swift motion, Greninja plunged a sword of condensed Dark energy into the back of his enemy. Beheeyems shrieking was not unlike that of a robot; electronic and piercing. Greninja took his blades back and beheeyem stumbled before collapsing to its injuries, the colorful light that it used for communication faded and blinked out. 

With the defeat of Beheeyem, the hall's dimensions shrank to its original proportions and Y skidded to a halt.  
“That was the most powerful Beheeyem I’ve seen. Psychic types definitely are your specialty.” Val said nothing, she was simply speechless. She knew that the pending champion would be no slouch in a battle, but theirs ended too quickly.  
“Well…” started Y “...who’s next?”  
Val stammered. “Wha-next?! My Beheeyem was undefeated before this, in fact I used him specifically for THIS. I dont know what's next!” She hesitated for a moment before revealing a last pokeball. “This is my last pokemon, but I really didn't think about using her to fight. She’s weaker than Beheeyem, and look what you did to him!” Y smirked, reached into his pocket and released his last pokemon, Klefki. The tiny Fairy pokemon was no bigger than a set of keys and it chimed merrily as it danced for the trainers. “I guess we both weren’t taking this too seriously.” The two shared stone faced silence before bursting into laughter. Val released her last pokemon, Gothoritta, who joined Klefki in dance upon sight, and for a while the two trainers sat contently with their team.  
“Y...although it wasn't a proper battle you indeed have my blessings. I’ll have to train my pokemon even harder if we are to ever battle again.” Y nodded and equipped his pokeballs, Klefki was the first to return. As Y turned towards Greninja, the pokemons heart sank. Greninja had hoped that his trainer would acknowledge his competence as a fighter and allow him to roam freely alongside him and Gardevoir. Sadly, it looked like he would have to wait for another time. Greninja solemnly lowered his head as he was returned to his digital form within the pokeball.


	6. Gleam

Gleam  
“Hey...Gardevoir, wake up for a sec.”  
Gardevoir squinted and peered around hazily from her sleep, then made a “huh?” sort of sound.  
“Sorry, but I wouldn’t ask if I thought I could wait.” Gardevoir sat up. Reading Y’s mind she found what he meant and made another vocalization indicating alarm and inquiry.  
“Yeah, It hurts alot so if you could....what? No....No I guess I didn’t have to, but it's whatever.” Y was being dismissive again. Gardevoir couldn’t read the subconscious mind, so she didn't know whether Y’s dismissiveness of his own well being was a symptom of his reliance on her support, or if it was a deeper manifestation of his own self hatred. Wiping memories was only a short term solution to her trainers problems, she could not undo the psychological damage inflicted no matter how much she yearned to, it scared her.   
“I mean, if you’re too tired or something I could just go ask the receptionist if they have a spray. It's not a problem.”  
Clueless Y, she thought. He would never get better without her help, and so she leaned in, held her hands out to his chest and released a warming glow that slowly began healing the damage caused by the lightning bolt.  
“Ooh, that feels better. Say, it's still early, what do you want for breakfast?” he asked. Gardevoir raised her head and thought for a moment.   
“We can pick up some chinese food, come back to kill some time...you want creamed coffee and what? Don’t you think it's too early for baked sweets?” Gardevoir shook her head and smiled. They were her favorite things in the world!  
“Guess I shoulda known better….No, it's not that. Just, a lot of people usually go to the PokeCafe in the mornings.” Y was strongly introverted. Despite the cool facade he put on for others, he was actually quite socially awkward and interactions with anyone would make him anxious bar three exceptions; Gardevoir and his professor Acacia.

Gardevoir finished up and donned her master's cloak as they both headed out of the motel and to the PokeCafe. Unlike her master, Gardevoir enjoyed surrounding herself with people. Reading minds and uncovering the stories and tribulations of others gave her a sense of satisfaction. The sun had only just peeked over the horizon and the morning air was noticeably chilled, but not yet to the point where it was uncomfortable. The path to the PokeCafe took them through a public park, where the grass and sidewalks were puddled with melted dew and frost. Most of the people who occupied the park were accompanied by a significant other, Gardevoir could tell. Whether it was a child, partner, or Pokemon their emotions all echoed one word; Fulfilled. It prompted her to wonder about herself and how she would define fulfillment in the context of her own life. She had no children, not that she wanted any, nor did she desire the companionship of another Pokemon, and reading memories was only a vicarious experience, not her own. She reminded herself, of course the answer was clear, Gardevoirs fulfillment was in her master and partner Y. Just as humans are fulfilled when protecting what they love most, child or partner, Gardevoir equivalized her loyalty and protectiveness of Y as such.  
“Whatcha thinking about?”  
The break in silence snapped Gardevoir back to the moment.  
“Still reading? You really didn’t learn your lesson, remember when you were caught red handed by someones Kadabra?”  
Gardevoir smiled innocently and stuck her tongue out.  
“Maybe you can act like that, how am I supposed to react when I'm the one getting confronted?”  
A stranger from behind chimed in. “Uh, excuse us?”  
Y and Gardevoir turned and were greeted by a few park goers who looked astonished.  
“Y-you’re the new champion right? The one who beat Alder?”  
Y’s posture stiffened. “Yes. I beat Alder.”   
The eyes of the group lit up. “Wow! We’ve never met a real champ before! Is it okay if we get a few pics?”  
Gardevoir felt Y’s anxiety rise.  
“Uh, sure.” he answered hesitantly.  
The group silently shared their celebrations before moving in. One member stood back to take the picture as the others took their position, lightly pushing Gardevoir out of frame.  
“Cheese!”  
After satisfying themselves with pictures and pleasantries, the group waved goodbye to the celebrity.  
“Thanks again for the pictures sir!”  
Y waved back. “Yeah, you too.”  
The group left, leaving Y wincing to himself. A shame thought Gardevoir, he was doing very well. Another memory needing erasure.

The two finally arrived at the PokeCafe. Warm air and delicious aromas washed over them as they found a seat near the corner of the building. For Gardevoir, Y bought a half loaf of sweet bread and latte. He bought nothing for himself, only watching Gardevoir as she took small and happy bites from her food. The cafe itself wasn't so busy since it was still morning and also wasn't very well known, thus the atmosphere was calm and quiet...until the door swung open.  
“Ah! Nothing like a warm cup o’ joe to start the morning!”  
It was the Trainer Thug Nale, making his grandiose entrance into the small, almost empty cafe.


End file.
